Life after the battle
by LAHP23
Summary: Life continues but what challenges will Harry have to face? Hinny and Romione
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I really hope this story is alright, I'm not sure whether to continue it or not so please review and let me know!**

Harry pushed open the door to the great hall and stared around at the devastation inside. The whole place was covered in dust and stone, the floor lined with dark scorch marks. Harry peered down the long row of bodies to the end of the hall where there was a group of red heads standing together. Harry blinked tears out of his eyes and stepped down the hall towards the small gathering. Ginny was knelt beside Fred's arm, clasping his hand in hers. They were all silent; nobody took notice as Harry approached. He tapped Ginny's bony shoulder; she turned and looked up at him. He held out his hand to her. She clasped it and let Harry lead her out the hall. He led her into the first chamber he came to, the chamber that he had stood in many years before, waiting to be sorted. They turned to face each other.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry about Fred." Harry whispered, a hard lump in his throat blocking his breath. Ginny looked up at Harry, her eyes sparkled with tears and her lips trembled.

"He loved you so much Ginny." Harry sighed. Ginny bit her lip, trying to hold everything together. She took a step closer to Harry.

"I c…can't believe he's gone." She stammered.

Harry held out his arms and Ginny fell into them. Suddenly she was sobbing into Harry's chest.

"I know it seems like the end of the world now, but you're strong Ginny. You can get through this." Harry whispered into her hair. Just then the door opened and Hermione stepped through cautiously.

"Erm… Mrs Weasley says we should head back to the burrow." She whispered before heading back out the door, hoping she hadn't interrupted anything.

Harry pulled Ginny's head up and took it carefully between his hands, staring into her soft brown eyes.

"I'll be there for you Ginny. I want to look after you. I'll never leave you again." Harry sighed. She looked thoughtful. Harry sat down on an abandoned desk in the corner of the chamber and she joined him, leaning her head on his muscled chest.

"Are you really going to be here forever?" Ginny sniffed.

"Of course I will, I love you Ginny." Harry confirmed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Once Ginny had stopped crying she stood up.

Harry put his arm around her and they left the chamber, in the entrance hall they discovered the other Weasleys waiting for them.

Mrs Weasley smiled at the sight of her daughter and Harry so close.

"Are you ready to return to the Burrow?" She asked.

Ginny nodded. Harry felt himself turn on the spot and immediately felt as though he was being squeezed through a dark, rubber tube. Just when he thought his lungs would burst he arrived in the overgrown garden of the burrow. As the other Weasley's began to pop up around him a deep feeling sadness fell over him. They were returning home, going on with their lives but they had lost so many. Fred wouldn't ever walk over the threshold again, neither would Lupin or Tonks and Teddy was an orphan. Harry sighed, there was no point dwelling on past events, he needed to move on, focus on the future. His future, with the girl he loved. He made his way towards the front door of the burrow. Mrs Weasley had already entered and disappeared. George, looking lost and alone without his partner in crime, headed straight upstairs. Nobody knew what to do with themselves. The battle was over, Voldemort was dead. They could get on with their lives. Harry turned and smiled at Ginny. It was going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I own nothing, it all belongs to Queen Rowling. Hope this chapters okay. Please read and review :)**

Nearly everybody retired to bed as soon as they had picked at their tea. Nobody was particularly hungry, apart from Ron whose grief obviously hadn't affected his appetite. Ginny glanced at Ron disgustedly.

"What?" He muttered defensively, piling a mound of mashed potato into his mouth.

She just raised her eyebrows before placing a mound of potato and a sausage onto a plate, standing up and wandering up the stairs towards George's room, George hadn't joined them for dinner. She knocked on his door timidly before pushing it open and stepping inside.

"Hi." She whispered, her voice cracking at the sight of George slumped on his bed, a pillow over his head. Ginny wasn't sure whether he was asleep or just wanted to be alone.

"I've bought you some food, if you want it." She smiled tentatively, George didn't move. "He wouldn't want you to starve, you know."

She turned and left. Harry was waiting for her in the corridor.

"Is he okay?" He whispered, gesturing towards the bedroom door.

Ginny smiled sadly. "I don't think so."

"Is there anything we could do?" He asked, his voice catching.

Ginny shook her head, her eyes filling.

"Come on, let's go out to the garden." He suggested, leading Ginny by the hand down the stairs, through the kitchen where Ron and Hermione were sat in silence and up into the apple orchard.

The sun was beginning to set, filling the orchard with a golden light that bounced of Ginny's long, auburn hair. Making it glimmer gold. Harry led her to the bench where they both sat down, Ginny leaning her head on Harry's chest.

"Do you want to talk?" Harry asked, taking her hand in his.

Ginny shook her head "No, I've cried enough. I don't want to think about it."

Harry couldn't believe how strong she was being.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" He whispered, gently stroking his hand down the back of her tangled hair.

"Are we, are we officially couple again now?" Ginny asked apprehensively, looking down at her knees.

"That depends." Harry muttered, tilting her chin up so she was looking into his emerald eyes "Would you like to be a couple again?"

Ginny nodded, blushing slightly.

"Then I would be delighted to be your boyfriend, because you mean everything to me Ginny. I don't ever want to let you go again, ever. And I'm sorry, so, so sorry, that I had to leave you. But if Voldemort had done anything to you I would never have forgiven myself."

He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers, he felt as though fireworks were going off around him, and although he was still consumed in grief, he felt the happiest he had in a long time.

"So." Hermione muttered awkwardly, looking over the table at Ron. Everybody else had exited the room, leaving just Ron and Hermione sat either side of the table. They hadn't mentioned the kiss, they both seemed to be pretending it had never happened; making the atmosphere in the room thick with awkwardness and tension.

"So." Ron sighed, staring at his hands.

"Are you happy for Harry and Ginny?" She spoke softly, attempting to stop Ron thinking of the embarrassing moment when she had thrown herself at him.

Ron nodded slowly. "Yeah, Harry's happy and my sisters happy. Everyone's happy, well as happy as they can be in the circumstances."

"Do you want to talk about Fred?" She questioned apprehensively, looking down at her hands to hide the tears glistening in her eyes.

"I don't really do talking about my feelings." Ron grunted awkwardly.

"Maybe you should." Hermione prompted.

"Ok well, I'll try. I was quite close to Fred, obviously not like George was, and he was a great brother and he wouldn't want us to be upset but, you kind of can't help it. I don't think it's really sunk in yet, that I'm never going to see him again. I half expect him to walk through that door and tell us he was just tricking us. But he isn't." Ron stopped as his voice cracked.

Hermione looked up at him.

"Any other feelings you'd like to discuss?" She smiled, more confident now.

She pulled Ron's hand towards her and looked up nervously into his crystal eyes.

"And, you're a great friend Hermione. Thanks." He told her.

Hermione looked down, had his feelings changed in the last few days? She'd been downgraded to 'good friend.' Ron, seeing Hermione's upset, built up all his courage.

"And I love you." He whispered.

Hermione grinned at him across the table.

"I love you too." She smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's so short and sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been on holiday. I hope this chapter is alright, please review :)**

Three months had passed since the battle and everybody was slowly beginning to move on, though nobody spoke of Fred. One mention of his name dissolved Mrs Weasley to tears. George had begun to sit with them at most meal times though he only seemed able to pick at bits of food and he always retreated back to his bed room as soon as he'd finished.

It was a bright August morning when there was a tap at the door; Ginny pulled it open and was surprised to see Angelina Johnson stood awkwardly on the door step. Last time Ginny had seen her was at Fred's funeral. She didn't cry, or show any emotion at all she just sat in silence, her face completely expressionless, her hands clasped together in her lap. As soon as it was over she had left immediately.

"Erm, hi Angelina." Ginny said.

"Hi Ginny, I was wondering if George was in." She explained.

"Yeah he's in his room; I'll go and fetch him." Ginny replied; turning and running up the stairs to George's bedroom. She knocked on the door before pushing it open; George was sat at his desk poring over a piece of paper. He had decided that he would move back to the flat above Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and reopen the shop the next week so he had lots of payments to sort out. When Ginny entered he turned to look at her, a weak smile on his lips.

"Hi Ginny." He muttered, placing the paper back on the desk.

"Hi, erm Angelina Johnson's at the door, she wants to see you." She told him.

George looked a little taken aback.

"Why?" He questioned, confusion lining his face.

"I don't know, but she's waiting for you in the kitchen."

When Ginny returned down stairs Hermione had made Angelina a cup of tea, they were both sat at the table laughing about something.

"He's on his way." Ginny informed her.

"Thanks." Angelina smiled.

When George entered the room Hermione and Ginny decided to go for a walk to leave them to talk.

"Shall we walk to Stoatshead Hill?" Hermione suggested, Ginny nodded and they began to climb.

"So, how are things going?" Hermione asked Ginny, looking at the girl she considered to be her sister.

"Alright." Ginny nodded. "I'm looking forward to going back to Hogwarts next month. Have you made a decision about whether you're coming back?"

"Yes, I'm going. I want to get my NEWTS, it just depends when I get back from Australia, I might end up starting a bit later." Hermione informed her. In a week's time Hermione, Harry and Ron were flying out to Australia to find Hermione's parents. Ginny had been invited but she had refused the offer, the three of them had done so much together and she felt that if she went with them she would just feel like a tag along. Plus she wanted to be there for her family at the moment.

"Do you think it will take long to find them?" Ginny questioned.

"I don't know." Hermione sighed "Australia's a big place."

"You'll let me know as soon as you find them won't you?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded conformation and they continued walking.


End file.
